The Postman (Il Postino): (Luis Bacalov) Based on the novel
"Ardiente Paciencia" by Antonio Skarmeta, Il Postino tells the lovable tale
of a postman on a small island in Italy who has little reason to be excited about his
isolated job. That is, until he delivers post to the legendary poet Pablo Neruda
in exile and, with the help and inspiration of Neruda's work, puts the charms on
the island's most beautiful young woman. The heart-warming romance story is
tainted by a somewhat disruptive ending, as typically are bittersweet romances
of Mediterranean attitude. Neruda's poetry sets a memorable mood throughout the
film, as does the original score by the veteran Italian composer Luis Bacalov.
The film, much like Life is Beautiful a few years later, would be a quick
phenomenon in America, where its short-lived momentum would carry it to rare
foreign-film success at the Academy Awards. Most film score fans will recall
Bacalov's Il Postino score as that which defeated James Horner's
Apollo 13 and Braveheart at the Oscars in February 1996. The
shocking underdog triumphed over Horner's two superior efforts occurred likely
because the supporters of Horner's career within the Academy split their votes
between the two scores. Incidentally, with Horner's win of an Oscar two years
later, many fans released their lingering, pressurized disdain for Il
Postino. On its own merit, the Il Postino score did not deserve the
Academy Award that year, but it still stands strongly on its own as a
representative of the best that Italian film music has to offer. It is music
that is very reflective of the norm for Mediterranean output in this genre,
which, as most film score fans will admit, has gone largely unnoticed outside of
Europe. The film itself is a slice of Italian arthouse drama that goes equally
unnoticed by most American fans, and regardless of any biases you might
inherently have against this style of film and its music, Bacalov's score is a
perfect match for this particular story. After taking the Academy Award,
Bacalov's effort won the BAFTA achievement award and several other international
awards, and even a decade later, it's easy to hear why.

Airy and free-floating, Il Postino's music is
surprisingly catchy and addictive in its ability to convey the lifestyles on an
isolated Italian island. From the authenticity of spirit in the use of mandolins
and a bandoneon to the romantic flavor of the string quartets, every expectation
is played upon with pleasant success. To say that the score is small in scale
would be technically correct, but it more than compensates with its infectious
personality. One detraction may be the extremely repetitive nature of the main
theme and auxiliary motifs throughout the effort, sometimes stretching a
person's tolerance on album during the endless rephrasing of the theme through
different instrumental combinations. The most snazzy performances of melody
accompany the cues "The Postman's Dreams" and "Milonga del Poeta," which
present the primary theme with extra woodwinds and percussive accompaniment. In these
more developed performances of the theme, the score is extremely enjoyable. A
certain flair in the performances by the piano especially keep the sound fresh.
An older pop rendition of a motif, as well as a straight jazz piece ("Loved by
Women"), offer breaks from the consistent statements of the title theme.
Ultimately, the overall work's best impressions on the listener are formed
during the most upbeat and enthusiastic performances of that theme, producing an
album experience much like Nicola Piovani's Life is Beautiful. The Il
Postino score has existed on several albums, both in America and Italy. The
Americans have the album courtesy of Hollywood Records, and during the
production process of the soundtrack, it was discovered (almost by accident)
that several major actors and actresses were fans of Pablo Neruda's poetry (led
by Julia Roberts), and, as a result, a collection of his poetry read by these
artists is included on the album. Set with Bacalov's intrinsically fitting music
in the background, most of these readings are excellent, though a few of the
voices (and Wesley Snipes in particular) don't have the romantic swing in their
inflection to pull it off. The score by itself was presented a few times on
album by the C.A.M. label in Italy. Most recently, that group issued a 2002
release with an extra seven-minute bonus track featuring a performance of the
main themes by the Giovanni Tommaso/Enrico Rava Quartet. Only collectors of
Bacalov and the Mediterranean genre should consider seeking the C.A.M. albums,
however, because the poetry and score together will likely hold more interest
and appeal to American audiences. Overall, Il Postino is a charming score
that's taken far too much abuse from Horner fans for its Oscar win. It really
does tend to be pleasantly infectious. ****@Amazon.com: CD or
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